David j



as to the plate. i

Vhalf the pitch of the screw.

DAVID J. EAEMEE, 0E WHEELING, WEs'r'viEelNIn.

Letters Patent No. 113,644, dated April 11,1871.'

invn?never/riterr- IN NAH. Ano TACK-PLATE FEEDERs.

Thevcheule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the'same.

I, DAVID J. FARMER, of .Wheeling in the county of Ohio and Stateof West Virginia, have invented a nen/and improved Nail and Tack-Platev Feeder, of which the following is a specification.

Nature mul Objects of the Invent/ion..

My invention relates to a portable device, in which the feeders (one or more) are `mounted in a rotary head, and semi-rotated between the cuts to turn the plates.

-or in tubes whose axes are parallel to that of the ropasses through a tube at whose cnd'is a nut, which is intended to be rotated by a common wrench or key prevent-its rotation therein, so that, as the feeder is semi-rotated at intervals the nipper-holdingI tube partakes of the motion and presents the plate, so that the taper of the nail-blanks is in alternate directions 0n the tube is a thread engagedby a spring nut on the holder. As the feeders rotate the threaded tube is advanced relatively to said nut a distanceJ equal to This isV equal .to the me-l dium width of the nail-blank. I f

The holder has aspring arrangement which keeps the nail-plate holder up to its work. i

` Thehead-stock is capable ot being turned back from the cutterwhen necessaryl Description of the Accompanying' Drawing. Figure ll is a side elevation of themachinc. 14`igurc2 is a rear elevation of the machine. Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line :l: :c g. 1, but on an enlarged scale..- l

Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section through one of the feeders and the contained plate-holder and rod. This view is also on an enlarged scale from fig. 1.

F i gure 5 is a transverse section on the line y y, tig. 4

General Description.

The machine is intended to hold nail-plates and feed -to a stud on. the standard G.

'which is so regulated as only to. do this.

versed by a nut, t.

apparatus is .shown as adapted to working three feeders consecutively, but `it may be applied to operate more or less than three.

idd.

A is a rot-ary head having three cylindrical charnbcrs c parallel to and around the central axis. i

'ihe rotary head A is mounted. on standardsO G, which rise from a foot, D, hinged at d to the baseplate E. This enables the whole arrangement to be oscillated backward so as to remove it from the cutting apparatus (not shown) when it may be necessary to withdraw the feeder out of action. l v

The two sleeves, C C', on the summits of the standl ards C @,embrace the rotary head and form bearings th erefor.

The head is rotated in its bearings by means of' gearing F on the head, a whcehli, mount-ed between thc standards, and a 'ratchet-wheel and lever, FZ F3, operated in any convenient manner.y l

G is a friction-brake, sleeved upon the rotary head A,vand having a tail, G1, cormected by a spring,'G'i, The functions of this brake is to regulate the motion of the rotary head,

prevent loose action, and bring the nail-plate back positively to the gauge H whena sudden and quick impulse may have rotated thc head a littlev too far. fIt is made ot' flexiblematerial, such as sheet-steel, and embraces the head tightly so as at all times to produce some friction. The tendency therefore, is, for the same to be carried around by the head. This tendencyis resisted at proper speed by the spring G2, Itl the speed is too great the said spring yields, andthe tail G r comes in contact with its stop and is retlexed more or less. This action brings the surface of the brake immediately behind the said tail into closer contact, making the whole hug more tightly, and thus increases thefriction to the requisite extent. ThenV the speed to their normal positions.

Each of the cylindrical chambers a in the rotary head is occupied by a feccia-which consists of a cyl# inder, b, iig. 3, occupied by a hollow tube, c, and an axial rod, c.

y The rod e, gs. 3, 4, and 5, has atene end a pair of nipping-jaws to hold the plate f.

On the other end of thev rodi's a screw-thread, trav-l The rod slips into the tube c, and, as the nut is screwed upon .it the nippers, by being drawn partially within the end of the tube, are `forced sluit upon `the plate, holding it fast.

vis sniieiently reduced the spring Gr2 returns the parts hollow within the feeder b is made of large capacity for the greater' part of its length, and converges gradually, as shown in iig. 3, toward the contracted part in which the grooves b' are formed.

The outer portion of the tube c isthreaded, and is embraced bya spring nut, h.

That end of the cylinder b which is presented toward lthe guard-plate H is tapered, and on the other end is a pinion, J.

When the head A is rotated, the vpinions of the cylinders bare brought consecutively into engagement with the segment-rack K, which is attached to the upper portion of the sleeves C' O', and over-hangs the rea'r end of the rotary head A.

rlhe segment-rack K is provided with one-half as many teeth as the respective piuionsJ, so that the pinionbecoming engaged 4therewith is half rotated once during each rotation of the head. 1t will thus be apparent that the feeders revolve arouudfthe geueral' axis of the head and have a half-rotation inthe period of each revolution. 'l

rlhis half-rotation hastwo objects First, it presents the plate fte the cutter with the 'respective sides up alternately,'so that the plate may hel cut heads and points, but with points presented always in the same direction relatively to the machine.

Second, the semi-rotation of the feeder rotates the threaded Atube'in the spring uut h, and advances it relatively thereto a distance equal to one-half the pitch of the screw. This is the length of feed for the width of va nail at its midlength.

The spring nut It is att-ached to a slide, m, slipping in -jaws 'a under the iuiiuence of 'a spring, 11.

The pin s 0n the end of' each slide limits the` forward motion. l

- rJihe spring yields to the backward movement oi' the nut h, which is caused by the turning of the nipperrod and the resistance Voffered by th'e guard-plate H, uutilthe head has in its rotation brought the nail- "plate in line ivith the notch in the guard-plate, at which time the springwill force the tube aand the nipper-rod forward, projectingr the nail-plate through the notch in the guard-Harige H to the cutting apparatus. p

The guard-dange H is swiveledl to bearing-arms M, from the sleeves C of the standards.

In place ofthe pinions on the cylinders brand the to connect the dilerent machines, as a given case may require.

cutting machine, because the mode of making such connections ineach particular case will be clearly undei-stood by the skilled mechanic, but will necessarilyv a feeder of analogous constrnction'is illustrated in my patent of May 3l, 1870. Patents heretofore granted employed for rotating'the head or frame .which carries the feeders, and for determining the position oi' the feeders within it;

Claims. f

A in properworking position, and permitting its retraction. l Y 2. The friction-brake G', constructed and operating substantially as set forth for regulating the movement of the rotary head A. f

' 3. 'lhe`combination of tne feeders b, tubes c, and

severally, substantially in the manner described.

4. The nipper-rod e, threaded-tube c, nut h, and spring slide on working in guidesu, in combination with a rotaryfeeder, 6, land gauge H, for feeding the plate, as set forth,

. DAVID J. FARMER.

- Witnesses: 4

Oc'rAvIUs KNIGHT, WM. H. BRnnE'roN, Jr.

toothed segment K, I propose in some cases to usea levers, and to be operated by any suitable mechanism I have not thought it necessary to illustrate anyl way of connecting my feeding apparatus with a nailvary with diierent machines. One way oi' applying.-

to me show, alsof, examples of means which may be 1.4 lhe sleeves C' C', standards C O, hinged shoev D, and base-plate E, constructed and combined as shown'and described, for supporting the rotary head uipper-rods c, and mechanism to actuate said parts 

